Making a Meal Last - Macaroni and Cheese

Whether your family prefers Kraft Mac and Cheese with the powdery cheese sauce mix, or the slightly classier velveeta-style, I wouldn't be surprised to find out if the last serving is scraped out of the pan and every noodle is gobbled up. The best way to stretch a box of macaroni and cheese is to add 1 cup of macroni noodles from the pasta aisle. These are bigger and will possibly have a different cooking time. Here's how I do it:

Mac-and-Cheese noodles cooking time - 8-10 minutes
Macaroni cooking time - 6-8 minutes.

After the water has come to a boil, add in the mac-and-cheese noodles and set a time for 2 minutes. When the timer goes off, add 1 cup of macaroni and re-set the timer for 6 minutes. Test for done-ness when the timer goes off the second time. And don't forget to stir!
Prepare the sauce in the normal manner - it will still cover all of the noodles and you'll have 1-2 more servings! Whether you are feeding more mouths at once or you end up with leftovers, extra food for a low cost is never a bad thing!

This can be done with whatever type of noodles are your family's favorite - I just find that macaroni tends to go on sale more frequently.

Making a Meal Last - Tacos

Tacos are a quick and easy meal to put together - mostly because once you are at the table, some assembly is required! And that is what makes it a fun meal. For me, a meal of tacos involves the following:

• Tacos Shells or tortillas (about $1-$2 for 10 servings)
• Grated Cheddar Cheese (grate your own and you are most definitely saving money)
• Shredded Lettuce (use what's on sale - iceburg or romaine both are equally yummy)
• Salsa (I am particular about my salsa, but you can usually find a store brand for $1-$2 a jar)
• Sour Cream (about $2 for a medium size container)
• Diced Tomatoes (if it's in season, I buy fresh, otherwise just drain a can!)
• The all-important ground beef filling (enhanced with a $0.50 package of taco seasoning)
  

The last time I made tacos, I had 1 pound of meat and a very hungry boyfriend. I knew I wanted to make sure that there were leftovers so I could make my famous taco salad the next day for lunch. How could I make 1 pound of ground beef outlast my boyfriend's appetite? The answer: A can of pinto beans. I rinsed and drained a can of pinto beans and browned them right along with the meat and followed the directions on the package of seasoning. It was flavorful, added extra healthy protein to the meal, and I successfully had leftovers for the rest of the week. I plan on trying this with black beans next time.

Making a Meal Last - Storage Solutions for Leftovers

Air is the enemy of food. Being able to store your leftovers in an air tight way will allow you to store them safely until you want to eat them. There are a LOT of options out there. Getting started might be expensive if you are starting with nothing, but it doesn't have to be. Let's go over some of the options there are nowadays.

• Disposable Options
• Plastic Bags
• Plastic Wrap/Tin Foil
• Reusable Options
• Containers like rubber maid or Tupperware
  
• Containers like ziplock or gladware
• Containers from products you already buy

The disposable options that I listed are going to give you a smaller start-up cost, but in the long run, you might be spending more money. Personally, I reuse plastic bags, plastic wrap, and tin foil whenever I can. Rinsing a plastic bag and letting it dry out is not that difficult and it saves the bag from the landfill for at least a few more uses.

The reusable options will have more of an up-front cost, but they also have the added benefit of, well, being reusable. There are many sizes and shapes available. However, they will take up some space in your kitchen. Using containers from products you already buy - margarine tubs, yogurt containers, and anything resealable - does not come with any additional cost, however, I would not advise freezing or reheating in these containers as many are not meant for extra use.

Personally, I use all of the above options. I have slowly amassed quite a collection of containers from shopping sales an using coupons. I have also bought Tupperware at yard sales and thrift stores.

Containers can be used for:

• portions of dinner from the night before
• loose cereal, beans, or rice when the bag breaks

Plastic bags can be used for:

• portions of pretzels, chips, or cut fruit or veggies in a packed lunch
• keeping homemade cookies from getting stale
• keeping flour and sugar in to keep the bugs out

Plastic Wrap and Tin foil can be used for:

• wrapping meat in meal-sized portions to be frozen
• wrapping uneaten block cheese
• wrapping anything that might be an unusual size/shape
• covering a plate of food to bring to a relative or friend

What are your favorite food storage solutions? Please share them in the comments section!